Yes, it is that time of year again, when we begin counting down the remaining care-free days left before the kids head back to school.

Of course, this would require that we all survived the summer in one piece :o)

All joking aside, I read a tip from the "Real Simple" folks that got me thinking. They suggested putting a kid friendly CD on in the morning & telling the kiddos 'that they needed to be done eating by track 4', without buying the required the CD {yes, marketing at it's best} I do think that's a great start ... but I have a better idea.

Often I advise folks to take the week before heading back to school to prepare {as best as possible} for the chaos ahead. Involving the kiddos not only teaches them the life skills needed to understand how to prepare as best for the unexpected, but it also shows them in living color what it takes to think ahead while staying flexible.

Obviously, school shopping needs done & bedtimes need restored but what about once the nostalgia of the new teacher & classroom have settled? Things have a tendency to return to the normal chaos ... being tired, doing homework, keeping up with chores & the social life. What now?

Habits.

So, if we all know that Johnny {or Mom for that matter} isn't a morning person, then what habits can we put into place so that things run more smoothly getting out the door? Enter the CD idea. No need to buy a certain CD though. You can easily use music you already own or a favorite radio station. {my newest find is on the internet & free! www.pandora.com}

  • Create a playlist with benchmarks that signify what should be getting done throughout the morning routine.
  • Change out the playlists with monthly holidays to keep it from being too dull.
  • Use a list for things that need done each morning {in our house we have an "out the door" list on the the door we leave from. This has helped library books get returned on time ~ finally!}
  • Another trick we use {us non-morning people} is to spend the first 5-10 minutes waking up, thinking about the day ahead as a way to jump start our brains & avoid being grumpy.
Now, there is always going to be the "make the lunch items the night before" tips, but I've found many of my clients just don't live in that world. So, what can you do for lunch prep that will curb some of the chaos?

Create a list of lunch options {PB&J with a Go-Gurt, or leftovers & sliced fruit} then use it as a quick reference guide to avoid having to make decisions while stressed out in the morning rush.

Bonus! This also simplifies that famous grocery list, if you know you need to have 'x, y, z' on hand for lunches then you begin to grab them as staples during the "big shopping" trip. Again, keep it fun & change it up with the different holidays or seasons.

Use a school holiday as a day of change/adjustment to the routine, this not only ensures that things are addressed on a regular basis, but it also gives the kiddos something to do on their day off that is {in the bigger picture} a maintenance item for their lifestyle. :-)

Good Luck this school year & feel free to leave comments, questions or concerns,

april
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